


Season 03 REALLY Irked Me

by DarthGhengis (Ernstpiet), Ernstpiet



Series: Season 03 Irked Me [2]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/F, F/M, Grief/Mourning, Lila Rossi Bashing, Mentions of Death, Multi, Original Miraculous Mythology, Original Miraculous Users, Romance, Threats of Violence, Violence, original kwami, post identity reveal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-27
Updated: 2020-08-27
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:42:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 16,529
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26141311
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ernstpiet/pseuds/DarthGhengis, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ernstpiet/pseuds/Ernstpiet
Summary: Sequel to Gifts and Lies (Chapter one of Season 03 Irked Me)
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Emilie Agreste/Gabriel Agreste | Papillon | Hawk Moth/Nathalie Sancoeur, Gabriel Agreste | Papillon | Hawk Moth & Tom Dupain, Plagg/Tikki (Miraculous Ladybug), Sabine Cheng/Tom Dupain
Series: Season 03 Irked Me [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1898254
Comments: 4
Kudos: 158





	1. Making Peace, Embracing Endings & Creating Beginnings

**Author's Note:**

> Very sorry for the time between updates! My laptop broke a while ago, and I'm not the most well-off guy out there so getting the money to fix it took some time. Tried to reach out on the subreddit, but not sure it actually reached anybody.. regardless, I'll try to update more frequently!

Gabriel’s breakdown wasn’t something that had been a long time coming; it wasn’t the culmination of years of stress (you couldn’t be in his business and be unable to handle the pressure) nor was it due to any underlying health reasons.

It started with, of all things, the realisation that he _didn’t want to die_.

Now for most people it was a perfectly normal and sane desire; his problem, however, was that he had more or less been working towards his death for years now. Not that he was suicidal; his end goal wasn’t his own demise, but rather his wife’s return. Even in their ultimate ability though, the Black Cat and Ladybug miraculouses required balance – therefore if he wanted to awaken his wife from her coma, he needed to offer something in return; something he was quite certain would be his life.. And what husband wouldn’t give his life to save his wife? His son needed his mother more than he needed Gabriel, and frankly she’d be much better at caring for Adrien than he could ever be. So, while he wasn’t exactly eager to die, he accepted it as the price he might have to pay if he completed his quest to obtain Ladybug and Chat Noir’s miraculouses.

That being said, his life had become.. different these last few months. After the fiasco with the _lying menace_ in his home a few months ago, Adrien and Marinette had started dating and it had done his son a world of good. He hadn’t expected Adrien to drop his always-polite-and-reserved behaviour so soon, but it seemed he could be himself around her.

…..

Marinette had proven to be a remarkable girl, showing talent beyond her years and a work ethic he’d never expect from one with her innate gifts. Gabriel himself had eschewed taking an apprentice or protégé for years; they either had the talent but no inclination to work hard at refining their skills, or they would be willing to work themselves to the bone but simply not have the talent needed and as such disappear from the world of fashion in their despondency.

Marinette, however, had shown herself to be both gifted _and_ willing to work hard at improving her designs – taking his critique to hart, yet never letting it break her. He had almost offered to take her as an apprentice several times in the last few months, but stopped each time when he considered the time constraints. Being Hawk Moth took up too much time, and it was unlikely that he would be able to complete her training before he was able to awaken Emilie.

It rankled him that he had finally found someone of her talent and skill at a time when he couldn’t do anything for her, but he made his peace with it.

…..

A few weeks later, Marinette had been over to have dinner at their house, and offered his son silent support when Adrien told him that he wanted to quit modelling after school and get a degree in business. He and Adrien had been mending their relationship after the whole Lila Rossi debacle, and for a moment he had worried that one of the few activities they still did together - working at and for the Agreste business - would come to an end. Yet what his son had said had surprised him; he wanted to be part of the company started by his parents - just not in the way Gabriel had expected - he wanted to learn to run the company’s day-to-day business and maybe even diversify the company a bit further than high end fashion (and recalling how successful the _Adrien - the_ fragrance campaign had been, he decided the idea had merit). So he agreed, and made a mental note to have trustworthy people on standby to advise Adrien after Gabriel himself is gone; he knew Nathalie loved him like a son (for all that she struggles to show her emotions as much as he himself does) but he wouldn’t ask that of her.

It vexed him to know that he would have to rely on others to teach his son when it came to running the business, but he made his peace with it.

…..

Perhaps the strangest of the recent developments caused by the relationship between his son and Marinette came about when Adrien had convinced him to invite her family over for dinner. Gabriel had nothing against her family as such, he just always felt vaguely uncomfortable whenever strangers came into his house (granted, his general apathy towards social events and meeting new people generally meant most people _remained_ strangers; he valiantly ignored the problem this presented with the ease of experience).

Regardless, he _had_ been curious to meet the people who had raised such an impressive daughter, and it hadn’t taken Adrien nearly as much convincing as it might have otherwise.

The dinner had gone well - better than any of them had expected, to be frank. Gabriel himself still wasn’t quite sure how it had happened, but he had found himself befriending Tom Dupain. They didn’t have that much in common; hardly anything if truth be told. That hadn’t seemed to matter much, and for the first time since meeting Emilie and Nathalie during university he had found a forming and maintaining a friendship easy, rather than something exhausting. It helped that Tom himself had an almost disturbingly large repertoire of puns. It had been a strange sort of night already, but when he had laughed out loud at one of Tom’s puns (about the whisks of being a baker), the room had seemed frozen with shock. It had come as a great surprise to both him and his son that the other enjoyed both making and hearing puns; Emilie had always told him his fascination with ‘the worst form of humour’ was the most contradictory thing about him - he had responded by calling her a homophonic.

It irked him that throughout his life he could count on one hand those he considered friends rather than friendly acquaintances, only to form a strong, if somewhat surprising, friendship at a point in his life where it very soon would mean only one more chair at his funeral, but he made his peace with it.

…..

Contrary to what many would have expected from him as Hawk Moth, he had a certain amount of respect for Ladybug and Chat Noir. They were the biggest obstacle in his path to getting his Emilie back, and that frustrated him, but he was intelligent enough to realise they were merely doing what they believed was right. It wasn’t as if they knew _why_ he wanted to use the ultimate power that came from combining their miraculouses; in their minds he was a villain who was misusing a magical artefact to try and obtain the most powerful magical objects - he couldn’t blame them for believing he had the worst of intentions for the wish.

His very first attempt to obtain their miraculouses with the Akuma Stoneheart had been going well for him; they were clearly novices at using their powers, and he even suspected it was the first time either of them had used their transformations. Afterwards, when Ladybug had rejected his demands while simultaneously bolstering the confidence of the city’s civilians, it had angered him more than anything in recent memory. It had felt like his goal was already within reach, only to be ripped away by her hands. As time went on and they defeated more and more akumas, and he developed a grudging sort of respect for them.. It was hard not to admire the courage of someone who’d jump into the mouth of a Tyrannosaurus Rex, or the self-control of someone with the power to destroy _anything_ and instead chooses to protect their partner in battle rather than avenging them.

He had done his best to research the heroes, but the secretive nature of miraculouses in general meant there simply wasn’t that much to find; to his immense displeasure the closest thing there was to an information source on them was a blog run by a teenager in his son’s class. Nevertheless it was a source of information, and he kept an eye on the website.. which had the unfortunate consequence of familiarising him with the ongoing debates about whether or not the two heroes were in a relationship (personally he felt they either were in a relationship, or they were fraternal twins with a semi-psychic connection - Gabriel had seen strange and unbelievable things on the expedition where he and Emilie had found the Butterfly and Peacock).

It bothered him that he wouldn’t ever be able to explain to the heroes that despite everything he has done he respected them, but like everything else.. he made his peace with it.

…..

His improved relationship with his son was something new to the both of them, but they had found an online ‘How-to’ list for improving father-son relationships (though they had sworn to never tell anyone about the list) and the awkward silences that sometimes came about during their conversations grew less and less frequent as time moved on. Their mutual enjoyment of punning had even lead to the occasional games of verbal one upmanship; his son was good, but Gabriel had years of experience on him and though Adrien could speak Mandarin and English better than him, he himself could also add Japanese, Greek and Italian to his repertoire.

Despite this, it had still surprised him that his son had come to him asking for help in obtaining a gift for Marinette; he already had the idea for a necklace with two charms added - one in the shape of a slice of cheese, the other in the shape of cookie - which had honestly confused him, but his son had sworn it was an inside joke that she would love.

When Adrien further justified the gift by showing him the good-luck charm bracelet she had given him, as well as explaining about the one he had given her (how had his son taken this long to realise his feelings for the girl, or hers for him for that matter!?) he had agreed. Adrien couldn’t find a necklace or the charms that suited his needs (though why he expected to, Gabriel would never know) and so needed to have it made.

His son had been worried about coming to him due to the expensive nature of the gift, but Gabriel had a flashback to the first edition Pride & Prejudice book he had bought for Emilie at an auction for their first wedding anniversary, and waved of his concerns. When it was done, he had it engraved with the words _For The Life I Saw_..

When his son explained that to him, the life he had seen with Marinette the day they started dating, it hit him like a freight train - he would not be there for most of this. Granted, Emilie would likely be, but he couldn’t tell his son that without risking his identity.

It saddened him that he wouldn’t be able to see the two of them grow into a family or meet any grandchildren, but he made his peace with it.

Or so he thought.

…..

That night, in that final stage between wakefulness and sleep, the realisation hit him..

_He didn’t want to die._

Everything he had convinced himself he was fine with losing, with never seeing, suddenly hit him again and for the first time since he discovered the way to get Emilie back, he wavered on his path.

_It made him ill to admit._

He felt like he was betraying his wife for even that single moment of doubt; he knew she wouldn’t have hesitated to give her life for his (though he doubted she’d go as far as he did; she was not the type to hurt others to get what she wanted - it was one of the things he loved about her) and yet despite this he just couldn’t manage to stop thinking about what he was really giving up. If he was honest with himself before these last six months, he didn’t have much of a life to lose, but now..

It kept him abed for almost 3 days; he had developed a fever, he couldn’t eat and only slept fitfully. He had seen the worry in the eyes of everyone who visited him, though ironically Marinette and her family stopping by had only made his inner conflict worse.

In the end, it had passed as soon as it had come. His inner conflict had reached a point where any further debate would have been without purpose, and so he decided to leave himself with an ultimatum. One more chance; one more akuma.. and as a consequence of his desperation, he did what he had been refraining from doing these last few months; despite the act now filling him with loathing - both for himself, and for _her._

He akumatised Lila Rossi.

*************************************************

The akuma had come as both a shock and as a relief; at least initially. Hawk Moth had been sparse with akumas for months, ending with a period of no akumatisations that lasted almost two weeks.. chillingly similar to the time preluding the Scarlet Moth battle. Both Adrien and Marinette suspected he was trying to build up strength for another big play - they just had no idea what it would be. Compounding this was the surprise that even after all her lies had been revealed and she’d been withdrawn (or expelled, the rumours vary) from school, Lila Rossi hadn’t been akumatised.

Until tonight that is.

_‘And what an akuma it is.’_

This battle had been different from the start - Lila had taken the moniker of _Maledicta_ with an appearance he could only really describe as a cross between Maleficent with her Volpina colour scheme and Jafar’s whole snake theme. She had a snake-minion-thing that was large enough to capture adults by coiling around them; Lila then used a staff to hypnotise (before he had realised the seriousness of the battle, he had quipped that Hawk Moth was going to be sued for copyright infringement).

They knew what a terrible person Lila was; they should have taken the fight more seriously at the start. The battle had already taken more than 3 hours, and they were in something of a stalemate - Queen Bee, Rena Rouge and Carapace had already been called in but were stuck trying to contain the destruction the hypnotised people were doing, as Lila had ordered them to capture any civilians and bring them to her to be further added into her growing army - and they couldn’t split up again to get more heroes, not after what happened the first time.. not with the stakes being that much higher this battle.

…..

_Chat was vaulting across the rooftops towards where his Lady had last been keeping the akuma busy; they had decided he would be the one to go get the other heroes as he’d be harder to spot in the dark, and Lila always was rather focused on Ladybug. He had gotten Chloé, Nino and Alya their miraculouses, but on the way back had sent them to try and distract/contain the enthralled civilians._

_When he finally got back to where the fight was happening, he was momentarily frozen by a scene that terrified him. The snake had somehow caught Ladybug off guard and was currently constricting her while the akuma monologued at her._

_“..Moth was a fool to keep trying to steal your earrings when he clearly just needed to kill you to get them.”_

_The words reverberated in his head, and that moment of hesitation actually allowed him to hear what followed between Lila and Hawk Moth; even seeing the glow indicating that Hawk Moth was speaking to his akuma he couldn’t hear what he told her - but he could draw his own (somewhat surprising) conclusions from her response:_

_“I don’t care! I will kill her, and then I’ll take her miraculous for myself! I’m done taking orders from you, so just sit back and watch me do what you’ve been too weak to do from the start” and with that she shook her head wildly, seeming to break his control._

_Then she turned to where Ladybug was still captured and sneered with an expression of such open hate, it snapped him out of his daze and he was already moving by the time he heard her say ‘crush her’ to her familiar-snake-pet-thing. She heard him and laughed at his desperation, addressing him in a mocking tone:_

_“You won’t get her free in time to save-” was as far as she got before freezing with eyes wide in shock and (he felt vindictively pleased to recognise) fear._

_With good reason; when he had started moving, his first thought had been to immediately try and free Ladybug, but something.. stopped him. He didn’t know if it was instinct, a sub-conscious hint from Plagg or some other reason, but he had instead leaped towards Lila (and he would not refer to her as an akuma anymore; the conversation earlier had proved she was doing this of her own free will)._

_Before he even realised what he was doing he had a hand around her throat and his cataclysm aimed at her heart._

…..

That had been the turning point he knew; Lila had proven she would kill to obtain Ladybug’s power (and possibly his own, though he doubted she knew _why_ he wanted both), and he had in turn shown that the moment she did he would kill her as well.

It had been a tense standoff, but everyone had made it out alive; Chat didn’t know what the akumatised object was, and Ladybug needed to recharge Tikki before they could continue. That had been about an hour ago. The next two hours had been a stalemate of close calls and bare misses.

The other heroes were almost ridiculously outnumbered, and he had no hope of any of them coming to their assistance; it would have been a perfect time to have either the Snake or Dragon miraculouses help them, but neither he nor Marinette was willing to leave the other alone to go and retrieve them.

“Buginette, not that I’m not enjoying our game of dodge-the-snake-and-whack-the-Lila,” he quipped while doing exactly that, “but I’m not sure how much longer the others will be able to contain the people she hypnotised, and if they start to join our fight..” he finished a bit darkly.

“I know that, Chaton, but I can’t figure out what the lucky charm means! It’s been the same thing the last three times I’ve tried, but the most I could figure out is it seems to be some kind of fruit branch. How does that help?!”

Chat looked towards her with the intent to ask her to show it to him again, but the question got stuck behind his terrified gasp; because there standing on a rooftop a few feet behind Ladybug was _both_ Hawk Moth and Mayura - worse than that, his Lady was so focused on the battle she didn’t notice the amber coloured akuma settling on her earrings.

It was only as he lunged towards her with his arm outstretched in a vain attempt to save her, that he noticed the _second_ (or was it third, including Lila?) one landing on his ring.. and just before the voice of Hawk Moth entered his thoughts, he had one last thought:

_‘I wonder why these akumas looked so different..?’_

*************************************************

“Miraculous Ladybug!”

As the magic spread through the city, fixing all the damage the battle had done; technically it wasn’t the most destructive one they had ever been in, but it was the most dangerous.

_‘Not to mention absurd’_ she couldn’t help but think, as she turned towards where Hawk Moth and Mayura were recovering.. from fighting _with_ her and Chat against Lila. When she and Chat had been hit with his akumas, she had initially thought they had completely failed; until she heard his voice telling them that he would be assisting them in this battle, and that he would explain afterwards.

She wouldn’t have trusted him, except.. well. It seemed that when the Butterfly Miraculous uses its power to akumatise someone, the link went both ways - she could feel his sincerity, and frankly they had little choice at that point.

It had calmed her down even further when the realisation of what her lucky charm was struck.. an _olive_ branch _._

“I propose we take this conversation.. elsewhere. The authorities haven’t noticed myself and Mayura yet, and frankly I’d rather not have them interrupt our conversation” and without even a backwards glance, the two villains leaped away into the direction of the Eifel Tower.

She shot a glance at Chat, who merely shrugged and followed after them; they had been together long enough that she understood the gesture to mean that he knew it might be a trap, but that they couldn’t exactly just let them leave either so they might as well follow. Resisting the urge to roll her eyes at how blasé Adrien could be sometimes, she nevertheless swung her yo-yo after him.

When they arrived at the tower (after making a short stop to recharge Plagg and Tikki, which was so much easier now that they knew each other’s identity) they found Hawk Moth standing with his hands behind his back while gazing down at the city; Mayura stood next to him, though she had her weapon out and was looking towards her and Chat.

Without a word, the two of them took a position they had become familiar with - Chat crouching to her right and slightly ahead, while she stood upright but balanced on the balls of her feet. It made them look relaxed, but had them ready for any sudden attacks; She would strike high, Chat would go low and she would pretend not to notice that he stole his ‘stances’ from Spiderman.

“So is this the part where you attack us? Because I gotta tell you Moth Head, I kind of want to high five you.. In the face. With my baton.”

“Now, now Chaton, they did help us defeat Lila.. even if he was the one who caused it. So tell me; is this the part where you apologise for creating a monster before going back to terrorising innocents? Frankly, I’m not sure why we shouldn’t just try to take _your_ miraculous for a change; we may be tired, but so are you and thanks to your persistent akuma attacks we have a lot more battle experience.”

She could tell by the way Mayura tensed up she was worried about a possible battle, yet she hadn’t moved into a defensive position, nor had Hawk Moth even turned around. As she had spoken, her hand had drifted to rest on Adrien’s shoulder, so she could feel the minute movements in his muscles as he relaxed his readiness slightly - yet her attention had been diverted when Hawk Moth finally took a deep breath, before speaking with his back still turned to them:

“Tonight.. was a mistake on my part. I should not have akumatised Lila Rossi, and I would never have granted powers to someone with a desire to kill. Even I have certain lines I won’t cross, and this has proven to me once and for all I.. need to abandon my quest for your miraculouses.”

Her surprise at the sincerity in his words was slowly replaced by confusion at the almost.. _heartbroken_ tone in which he said the last part. Her eyes narrowed at the flash of.. _something_ that flashed across Mayura’s face at Hawk Moth’s words.

He seemed to shake himself out of his stupor, and continued on:

“I ask that you allow me to speak my piece in its entirety before asking any questions,” only pausing long enough to glance back and see them nod in the affirmative, “I realise what you must think of me, but that is not a line I ever intended to cross..-”

He was interrupted by Chat’s snort of disbelief.

“Then why the hell would you overcharge her akumatised form that much?! Heck, she was the first akuma in weeks; how long did you have to prepare to make her that strong?!”

“I had no part in overpowering her form; she wrested control of the akuma from me and empowered it herself - likely with her own life-force, as she doesn’t wield a Miraculous herself. It is going to cost her dearly, as you know magic always demands balance and she will need to pay off her.. ‘energy-debt’ for lack of a better word. I initially assumed she would fall into a coma for several years in order to recover, yet the fact that she was awake after being detransformed implies I was mistaken. She may instead develop a magically enforced form of hypersomnia.. or her coma may just occur at a later date, it’s hard to say without analysing her - something I have no interest in doing. Regardless, she is no longer a concern to any of us.”

At first Marinette felt ashamed at herself for not feeling any concern for Lila’s well-being, but then she recalled what Adrien had almost had to do to save her from Lila, and suddenly it was gone. She didn’t think less of him for what he had threatened to do to her (she knew she would easily have done the same for him) but it didn’t change the fact that he was at his core a kind-hearted and caring individual - he didn’t need something like that on his conscience.

“My.. hiatus wasn’t some ploy to build my power, or time off to plot a master plan. It wasn’t even a forced break due to time constraints in my civilian life. No - it was because I had been considering retiring - quitting - giving up; whichever. Lila Rossi’s akumatisation was to be the last; an ultimatum to myself. Success, or permanent.. failure.”

And here he turned towards them for the first time, and the look on his face was the strangest blend of melancholy and acceptance that she couldn’t help but wonder..

_‘Did he really want our powers for something malicious, or is there something.. more?’_

“That being said, I will not be giving up my identity. Events in my civilian life have convinced me to give up being Hawk Moth, but make no mistake, I do not regret my actions nor do I believe I was wrong. I feel fully justified in what I have done, _but_ I have.. come to care for both Nooroo and Duusu, and would reunite them with their friends if possible. So I give you a choice - allow myself and Mayura to remain anonymous and go unpunished, or take the risk of us escaping during battle with both our miraculouses still in our possession.”

Marinette narrowed her eyes in concentration as she went through the different possibilities. She and Chat were younger and (conversely) had more experience, but Hawk Moth and Mayura had both proven to be cunning and had powers more suited to helping them escape.. It irked her that they might go unpunished, but she knew if she had to choose, she’d rather they go unpunished and know with certainty they’d be stopped than to take a gamble and risk them continuing to terrorise Paris (Hawk Moth seemed to imply he’d stop regardless, but well.. super villain).

“Even if we were to accept your terms, how do we know we can trust you? You don’t exactly have the cleanest track record, as you must well realise.”

He nodded like he had expected her question, and answered while gesturing to Mayura:

“Mayura will stay behind while I leave; both as reassurance to you and to ensure I am not followed. Her civilian identity has been akumatised with powers similar to that of Vanisher, and so 15 minutes after I have left she shall detransform and return the Peacock Miraculous. Using her akuma abilities she shall then leave, and if she arrives at our rendezvous unharmed I will set Nooroo free to take his miraculous to the guardian tomorrow at noon. Be warned though, I care deeply for her and if you harm her.. the repercussions will be beyond belief.”

Chat tensed at the threat, but Marinette saw the same drive in his eyes to protect Mayura that she sometimes saw in Adrien’s eyes when it came to her, and judging by the way Mayura had been silent yet ready to leap into battle that drive was likely mutual.. which oddly gave her comfort as to his trustworthiness, at least when it came to this.

She looked into Chat’s eyes, the two of them sharing a thousand thoughts yet vocalising none.. and then Chat suddenly stood, his posture relaxed as he rested his chin on his crossed hands which were balancing on top of his baton. He smirked at them, and then said the two words which accomplished what they had been trying to for years, ever since they had first become heroes.

“We accept.”

*************************************************

Adrien sat comfortably on a mat at Master Fu’s residence with Marinette cuddled into his side dozing, sipping his tea while he watched the Guardian thinking through everything they had told him about last night while they waited for the appearance of Nooroo.

He had seemed to be as surprised as them at this sudden about turn in the behaviour of their enemy.. at least until they had handed over the Peacock miraculous. The moment he had touched it, his eyes had gone wide and he had brought it closer to his eyes while chanting something unrecognisable under his breath.

Master Fu had then shared what he thought was the likely cause behind the change in Hawk Moth:

“You said he and Mayura seemed close, yes? He cares for her? Then I believe the answer to our curiosity, surprisingly, lies with the Peacock Miraculous. It seems to be damaged.. not irreparably so, but somehow its bonding magic has been corrupted - this miraculous would keep a constant energy drain on its users, even when untransformed. Hawk Moth needed Mayura’s help if he wished to continue battling with you on even footing; now however, it seems that he wasn’t willing to risk her life, whoever she may be. As.. almost disturbingly fairy-tale-like it may seem, love seems to have triumphed over evil.”

Adrien had to bite down on his lip to keep down the laugh at both the sentence and the mock-serious way Master Fu had said it; his girlfriend looked adorable while sleeping, not to mention she was downright grumpy when awoken.

“It is fortunate he returned it; regardless of the fact that it had been lost for ages, the only way to repair it is to seal it within the Miracle Box and allow Duusu to reconstruct it entirely. The Miracle Box will also cut off any magical connection between its contents and the outside world - the severity of the detrimental effects the Peacock has had on its user will also slowly decrease.. I estimate within a period of six months, any connection will be completely removed. Now, how about a game of Mahjong while we wait for Nooroo, hmm?”

Internally Adrien winced; ever since Master Fu had learned he could play, he had asked Adrien to face him whenever they had the time.. it wouldn’t have been so bad, except he had about as much of a chance at beating Master Fu in Mahjong as he had at beating Marinette at Ultimate Mecha Strike III..

_‘Which is to say none at all.’_

He could _rarely_ beat Marinette in the game if he surprised her enough by kissing her.. but if he didn’t surprise her enough, she kissed back. If she kissed back, the game was generally forgotten and they tended to lose 2-3 hours.

_‘Not that I’m complaining. If we weren’t still in school I’d have already proposed several times over.’_

…..

Adrien could still hear his blood rushing through his ears; he could feel the cold of the stone floor pressing into his skin, see the shocked and wide-eyed look his Lady was giving him. Everything else was deathly silent, none of the bystanders moving yet all unable to turn away from what had just happened, not until they saw how it would turn out.. and in between heartbeats, he couldn’t help but think about what had led to this moment.

_A year since Hawk Moth had given up his Miraculous; his identity a secret still._

_Nine months since his father and Nathalie had openly started dating._

_Six months since his mother had returned; his father admitting she was never missing, but in a coma under a fake name to preserve her privacy - him kept ignorant at her request._

_Three months since Marinette had been accepted into Institut Français de la mode and he had been accepted into École des hautes études commerciales de Paris and they had found an apartment roughly between the two; an apartment shared with Alya and Nino._

_Two months since the significance of his mother’s return and her newfound relationship with both his father and Nathalie 6 months after the sealing Peacock Miraculous became clear; even if he and Marinette never acknowledged it aloud._

_A month since he had started planning what was supposed to be the perfect date._

_Fifteen minutes since they had stopped at a seemingly random spot on an otherwise unremarkable street; unless you knew it was where Ladybug and Chat Noir had first met each other._

_Seven minutes since her eyes had softened with recollection, and she had smiled at him with so much love he thought he’d melt._

_Two minutes since that expression had become frozen, when he messed up the most important question of his life with a pun!_

_“Would you meow-y me?”_

So there. That is the story of how Adrien Agreste loses the love of his life because of an inescapable urge to pun at the worst possible moment.

Before he could even get up to apologise (although knowing his luck, he’d likely pun again) her arms were around his neck and she was kissing him like it was both the first and last time they’d ever have the chance.

“But if there are any puns in your wedding vows I _will_ skin you alive,” she mumbled into his lips, while he just nodded dumbly.

As she pulled back slightly to look him in the eyes, speaking softly, yet changing their lives forever with a single word..

_“Yes.”_

*************************************************


	2. Consequences, Clichés & Conclusions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sequel to Robot Eyes & Heroes In Disguise (Chapter 2 of Season 03 Irked Me)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Would you believe me if I said this was the chapter I had the least inspiration for initially?

Marinette sighed in contentment as she laid back against Adrien’s chest.. or well, technically it was Chat Noir’s chest, though she was also technically Ladybug at the moment. She was still Ladybug when she was untransformed, just as she was Marinette when she was transformed and Adrien was still Adrien when he was Chat so that..

Actually no, too much thinking, back to snuggling.

They were currently resting together on one of Paris’s rooftops, one quite the distance from their usual patrol routes or hang out spots.. It had an unimpeded view of the night sky, no nearby buildings with a line of sight to where they were sitting and had an enclosed wall - she suspected the building might originally have been planned as an apartment complex with a rooftop garden, but these days the building served as a long-term storage facility, and the staircase up had been bricked closed.

Now it was their spot; theirs and theirs alone. Sure they had many places they’d discovered all around the city, but most of them weren’t exactly hidden - some couldn’t be reached, but people could (and would) just watch them sometimes. Here they could just relax and unwind; escape from both their superhero and civilian identities.. because that is something they needed to do now.

It had been two months since the day Lila had tried to get her expelled and the truth had come out - about Lila’s lies that is, not about her identity. Although it was also the day that she had learned that both boys who had a claim to her heart were actually one in the same and he had _apparently_ discovered the same about the girls he loved..

She resisted the urge to giggle; the way they were sitting with Adrien relaxing against the parapet and her sitting between his outstretched legs leaning against him, she could easily hear him purring.. there was no _‘apparently’_ about the fact that they both loved each other.

She didn’t regret it; at first they had kept their identities secret because of Master Fu’s instructions, trusting their mentor to have reasons for the rules he had. Then they had started to understand what it meant to have a miraculous - that (at the risk of copyright infringement) _with great power comes great responsibility._ So they had continued to keep their identities secret, worried that as Hawk Moth became more and more devious that they could be forced to betray each other.. For a while now, however, she had asked to keep their identities secret, not because of Hawk Moth but because she was scared. Scared of the boy behind the mask, and the power his opinion of her would hold.. Scared of not being enough, or of something irreparably breaking once they knew.

They still occasionally fell into bouts of laughter because of everything; the sheer irony of both of them being in some sort of love triangle from different sides, yet only involving themselves. Adrien had said it was almost enough to make him believe in fate, except for all the close calls, failed confessions and missed chances they had also had to experience.

That didn’t mean there had been no consequences to their identities being revealed; they were just consequences to be dealt with in their civilian lives. Their relationship, for one thing.. _bothered_ quite a few people. It wasn’t that their friends and family weren’t supportive about them getting together, they were just worried about the way Adrien and her behaved as a couple.

Granted, she understood how strange it must have appeared to everybody - before that day, she still got flustered around Adrien, and while they were friends, he hadn’t shown any interest in pursuing a relationship either.. So the fact that within almost 24 hours of dating they acted completely different? It worried people.

To everybody else it seemed as if they suddenly became completely comfortable around each other - which might be a bit strange, but combined with the fact that Ladybug and Chat Noir had been extremely tactile even before they were dating, it suddenly had the hallmarks of a couple of teens becoming way too serious way too fast in their first relationship.

Her stutters replaced with teasing banter, Adrien’s friendly yet reserved mien changed to flirtatious smirking, and more inside jokes than Hawk Moth could throw a butterfly at.. what worried others served as relief for them. She would never have guessed that sharing their identities would result in such a weight of their shoulders - the best of both worlds, as Adrien had sung out when they were watching old Disney shows together.

“So, have there been any new theories on what your big secret is? I heard a rather interesting one earlier today..” spoke Adrien from behind her, interrupting her thoughts.

“Hmm? Do tell; the last one I heard was when Rose finally convinced Juleka to give her ‘ _Marinette is secret royalty!’_ theory some serious consideration.. though Nathaniel told me it was likely just her attempt to convince Juleka to watch both Princess Diaries movies on their monthly stay-in-date-night,” she said, before leaning her head back to look at him, “speaking of, why don’t we have any stay-in-date-nights?”

He smirked at her with a raised eyebrow before saying:

“Because as much as your parents joke about me being their son-in-law, and as much as my father likes you, both our parents believe we are moving irresponsibly fast in our relationship?”

Turning back to the face ahead, so he wouldn’t see her blush, she just let out a slightly embarrassed _‘Oh right’._

He snorted, letting her know she wasn’t fooling him, but let it go anyway before asking:

“How did Nathaniel know about Rose’s plans anyway? Didn’t he say he wasn’t going to be part of this whole guess-what-Marinette’s-secret-is business?”

Now it was her turn to snort;

“Please. Nathaniel believes the whole ‘Princess Diaries’ idea as much as Rose does! My life is nothing like that movie!”

She could feel Adrien chuckle at her indignant tone of voice.

“Of course not; the movie was about a cute girl who finds out she’s royalty, gets a makeover and becomes really pretty.. you’ve always been the most beautiful girl in school.. although I have to ask, why does Rose have to _convince_ Juleka to watch the movies? Don’t they both love romance movies?”

“Well yeah, but Juleka prefers the Cinderella movies?”

At this Adrien started laughing.

“Oh yeah? Would those be the animated movies, the live action remake from a few years ago, or one of the teen rom-com style movies? Or even the Christmas musical one with Laura Marano?” he got out between laughs.

“All of the above actually.. and I’d have been more likely to believe your amusement, if we haven’t watched _all_ of those movies at your request,” she quipped, kissing his cheek to show she was simply teasing him.

“A-.. anyway, what I was originally going to tell you..?”

She felt the urge to giggle at his flustered face, but just nodded for him to continue instead.

“Apparently some of the younger year students have figured out the _‘full story’_ ; apparently you’re the heir to some sort of - and I’m quoting here - _foreign fashion mafia_. Which is why my father has made a deal with said _fashion mafia_ for the two of us to marry. Apparently with you being the brains behind the business and me being the face and name of the Agreste Brand, we are going to become the new _French foreign mafia_.”

*************************************************

Adrien couldn’t see Marinette’s face due to the way they were sitting, yet judging by the way she had frozen stiff before sagging like a puppet with its strings cut as he finished his retelling of what he’d heard, it was probably something comical - not that he blamed her. There had been some pretty out-there guesses as to her secret - including but not limited to secret royalty, secretly rich as well as being a secret time-traveller - but this was a pretty weird one.

_‘I mean seriously, fashion mafia? Someone’s been watching too much cartoons.’_

That’s not even mentioning the other ideas people made up to explain their relationship - or rather, how close they became in the space of a day. It wasn’t as if they could explain to their friends and family..

_‘Okay so we know everybody thinks we’re moving too fast in our relationship and that it seems to have come out of nowhere, but guess what! We’ve actually been going around in circles almost since the first day we met! Not to mention, we’re very comfortable around each other because I am Chat Noir and Marinette is Ladybug! So since our superhero-selves have always been very physical with each other, even as friends, and we trust each other with our lives (have actually done so multiple times because, once again, we are the heroes of Paris!) so it’s only logical that we are perfectly comfortable around each other and have loads of inside jokes! Everyone get it now? Great!’_

Yeah. That would go down well.

“We should probably start heading home soon.. Hawk Moth has been a lot more active ever since the day I cured the akuma before it got to me,” Marinette interrupted his thoughts, “and we also _really_ need to figure out what is up with him and Mayura seemingly switching miraculouses on random days! What is up with that? We know he’s likely had both the Peacock as long as the Butterfly since they went missing together, but..”

Though it was embarrassing to admit, that was as much as he heard, before he got distracted again - Plagg and Tikki had warned them that their miraculouses would start to affect them as time passed; specifically they would develop better battle reflexes, though at the cost of a shorter attention span.. That said, he couldn’t deny that in this case he was just distracted by how _utterly badass_ his girlfriend was every time she mentioned that moment.

Why was it so utterly badass? According to Plagg, the ability to purify corrupt magic (akumas in this case) without being transformed _wasn’t_ a Ladybug thing..

_It was a Marinette thing._

…..

_Adrien had just gotten home from.. a pretty long day. Granted, it had turned out amazing and he couldn’t stop grinning, but it was a long day nevertheless. So long in fact, that upon entering his room he merely collapsed onto the bed and processed everything that had happened.._

_Or at least he was trying. Except for one nagging voice._

_“So I’m guessing you’re gonna be daydreaming about Pigtails for the rest of the week at least, but can I at least have some cheese before you zone out? I mean after today I am almost impressed, but being impressed isn’t something I can eat!”_

_His annoyance at Plagg’s obsession with Camembert - which frankly devoured most of his allowance - was pushed to the wayside at the more interesting topic of Marinette._

_“Oh yeah! I couldn’t believe she was able to release the akuma without being transformed, why didn’t you ever tell us? Is it because we needed to keep our identities secret? Or is some secret-Ladybug power?” he queried, remembering to at least fetch Plagg a wedge of camembert, since he could be difficult about answering questions when hungry._

_“Actually kid, that’s not a Ladybug thing at all. I’d wager it’s a uniquely Marinette thing.”_

_Plagg must have read something in his expression, because he just snorted before explaining further:_

_“Look, this isn’t something Tikki and I have brought up before because.. well frankly, neither of us suspected it would happen so soon, but here goes nothing I guess. Occasionally there are chosen which embody or embrace the aspects of their kwami to such a degree that the powers affect them.. more. Depending on the circumstances, it affects them differently.. Leonardo da Vinci had the Ladybug Miraculous during a time of relative peace and so never took a heroic name, yet had such an insatiable curiosity and desire to improve the world it drove him to become one of the greatest polymaths in history. It would seem that your girlfriend has such a desire to help akumatised victims, or apparently even the corrupted akumas themselves, that she has developed the power to heal them outside of their transformation..”_

_Adrien saw Plagg take a breath as if to continue, yet seemed to hesitate while glancing at him._

_“You should know.. Based on how often Hawk Moth manages to akumatise someone at the most opportune moment.. Tikki and I strongly suspect he has the same sort of connection to the Butterfly Miraculous - likely an ability to read emotions untransformed, or perhaps even unnatural skill at manipulating others. It is a pretty confusing situation, because Nooroo has only ever ‘harmonised’ with people that care more for someone else than their own well-being - the unsung but unforgotten hero types. Heck, the only wielder you might even have heard of was Leonidas - a man who loved his people so much he not only gave his life but lead thousands to their deaths for a chance at saving them..”_

_Adrien just stared at him, trying to take in what he had just heard.. Leonidas wielded the Butterfly Miraculous? Da Vinci was a past-Ladybug? Sort of anyway. Possibly strangest of all, Hawk Moth might have enhanced abilities from his miraculous (not good), but that likely means he.. cares too much about others.. How does that make sense?! _

_He was suddenly struck by the fact that Plagg hadn’t mentioned any of his own experiences. Maybe it couldn’t happen with the Black Cat?_

_“You haven’t.. mentioned anything about previous wielders of your own miraculous Plagg,” he started hesitantly - somehow feeling that this was a sensitive topic, “is it because it hasn’t ever happened before?”_

_Plagg became unnaturally still at the question, and seemed to become lost in his memories; so much so that Adrien was about to just waive the question, before he finally spoke:_

_“Those who embrace the powers of the Butterfly Miraculous tend to be a mixed story - they can be either great or terrible, but they almost always act for others. Be it love for, loyalty towards or vengeance for them. With the Ladybug Miraculous.. they tend to by their natures be inherently good - those who would always have been heroes, regardless of wielding a miraculous. Names like Horatius and Joan of Arc!”_

_Adrien smirked slightly, recognising the signs of his Kwami about to go off on one of his tangents about how amazing Tikki was, but the smile quickly dropped as his kwami suddenly closed off again, staring at him with eyes that seemed darker in colour than he could ever remember them being._

_“When it happens that a wielder of the Black Cat embraces the nature of Destruction however.. the world weeps. It’s the nature of my balance with Tikki - Creation and Destruction, Order and Chaos - my wielders only ever form a connection that strong when experiencing an urge to wipe something or someone from existence. Believe me kid, you don’t want to know how many so-called ‘lost cities’ were destroyed by one of my previous wielders..”_

_Adrien stared at his kwami open-mouthed with his expression somewhere between shock and horror._

_“What could drive someone to do something like that!? I swear Plagg, I’ll never change into someone that would do it!”_

_It surprised him when his kwami just chuckled sadly, though he’d never forget the warning that followed:_

_“The tragic thing is, most of them swore the same thing once told - and except in three specific cases. Out of the eleven people to ever embrace the powers of my miraculous, two caused thousands of deaths due to falling to mind-magics; one had tricked the guardian of the time into misreading him and had an evil nature. Ever since those three cases, the Black Cat and the Ladybug were always used together; Tikki is the only one that can both protect and keep my wielders in check. The others.. Some would call their reasons anger, or vengeance, or perhaps even justice.. but truthfully, it is almost always the same thing that triggers it,” and here his kwami paused to look him straight in the eyes for a few moments before finally continuing._

_“Grief, Adrien. Grief.”_

…..

Shaking off the shiver he always got when he remembered the second part of that conversation, he instead focused on his girlfriend who had moved into an upright position facing him, gesticulating wildly as she rambled on and on. Frankly, he found it adorable and the fact that it happened so frequently that she had told him to just leave her to it unless she showed signs of genuine anxiety or panic was one of the things he loved about her - one of those small, strange things that made no sense when you tried to explain it to others. She was right though, it was getting late and they couldn’t stay out for much longer. That being said..

He waited until he saw her look in his direction, and then slowly smirked at her in a way that always made her stutter or blush or both; considering his Lady could make him choke on air with a mere look, he rather enjoyed having the same effect on her.

When she developed that oh-so-familiarly-adorable blush, his smirk transformed into a  
full-blown grin - one she matched equally when he pulled her against him and pressed his lips against hers, both of their rambling thoughts and worries for the future melting away as they just enjoyed their time together.

They did stay out too late that night.

*************************************************

Tikki peeked out of the purse were she usually hid when Marinette was at school, making sure she wasn’t seen by any of the students nearby. From where the purse was she could just barely see Marinette sitting back on the bench, with Adrien’s head on her lap and her hand running through his hair.. They were both tired from the previous day’s akuma, but it had been particularly tough on Chat Noir; akuma had been based of some card-game character and had kept creating an impenetrable cocoon which he had to break with his Cataclysm - he had had to recharge eight different times before they could finally beat him.

 _Then_ they had to deal with a surprise attack by Hawk Moth - or rather, _Pavone_ , as he called himself when wielding the Peacock Miraculous. It was a new pattern that emerged these last few months.. While the original Hawk Moth would send out more powerful akumas that hit harder but had easier weaknesses to exploit and were often backed up by Mayura’s Sentimonster, there would sometimes be akumas that were.. less of a threat, but harder to beat; either because they were good at hiding or exhausted the heroes during the fight - whereafter they would be ambushed by Pavone.

It was.. an interesting tactic. One that drove her absolutely mad, since she couldn’t see the point! It didn’t make sense for them to trade off miraculouses like they were; the more they got used to their own miraculous, the more effective they would become at using them - granted, neither Nooroo nor Duusu would inform their wielders of that little detail, _but_ it was common sense that the more you tried something the better you got! They were effectively cutting their progress in half, and judging by the longer periods between attacks it exhausted them more..

Yet for the past few months this had persisted, and it gave her the feeling that she was missing something - but no matter from what angle she considered things, she couldn’t figure out what. She had spoken to Plagg, who had confirmed his instincts were saying the same thing - their enemies were acting _off_ in a way they couldn’t pin down.

Glancing at the scene of Marinette and Adrien still in the same position (though she could hear the faint rumble indicating that he was purring - just like her loveable grouch!) she thought once again about how well everything had worked out. Master Fu had been the one to impliment the rule about keeping their identities secret, and though she and Plagg could have overruled him.. she hadn’t shared Plagg’s optimism about what would happen when they did reveal their identities. So the rule had stayed.

Her worries had turned out to be for naught though - upon learning who the other was, they had managed to fit together so easily it had made people around them uncomfortable (even without considering the strange looks at some of their inside jokes) and it actually helped ease their civilian lives, being able to confide both sides of their lives to someone without worrying about trust.. and they did completely trust one another. More than any previous pair she could remember.

Their friends and family had - after 8 months of dating - finally written off their worries about Marinette and Adrien as simply two people who were ridiculously in love. It helped on days like these, when they were both exhausted from being heroes - they could ask for some alone time, and while everyone assumed they just wanted to be sickeningly-sweet-and-in-love, they could just.. shut down for a bit. They also helped cover for the other when they needed to disappear for an akuma battle.. she wasn’t sure when they would realise their friends all thought they kept sneaking away to make out during akuma attacks, but she knew when they did Plagg would tease them mercilessly. So would she for that matter.

The sound of an explosion nearby immediately made the school’s akuma-siren go off - it had taken them two years to actually be pro-active about the attacks, but she was willing to cede it to optimism that akuma-attacks wouldn’t last.

Regardless, it was time to help her chosen save Paris - even if Marinette never got the credit she deserved.

*************************************************

Contrary to the stereotype (which he 100% blamed on the successes of the Karate Kid movies), Master Fu was _not_ a secret martial arts master - though he had occasionally used the image to frighten off thugs during his travels in order to not resort to magic. To quote another reason for the stereotype (in his opinion, at least) ‘ _only magic can defeat magic’_ , and so he never used it against those without magic of their own.

That said, the individual now standing across from him in his home wielded a miraculous, and so was undoubtedly a fair target.. hence the magic trap he had activated moments ago. It wasn’t particularly malicious; it wasn’t his nature to strike first, so it was more to delay than actually attack.

He and Wayzz had spent nearly a hundred years on creating the spell, and even then it had a one-time use and needed a week to set up.. which he had done the very week that Marinette and Adrien had been given their miraculouses. It kept the room sealed from anything leaving or entering for the next two hours - time with which he trusted Wayzz to lead the other kwamis towards Ladybug or Chat Noir; sending Wayzz away left him defenceless, but their previous battles had shown that whatever else Hawk Moth was, a killer was not one of them.

That being said, he seemed.. strangely amused by the trap, still standing with his hands held behind his back. Fu narrowed his eyes slightly - he hated clichés, but if Hawk Moth was going to play the silent-yet-ominous mastermind, then he’d embrace his appearance as a wise old master (of magic, if not martial arts - damn Pat Morita for being so charismatic!).

“Since we are both trapped here for the next few hours, can I offer you some tea? I was about to take my morning cup, before you.. dropped in, as it were,” he asked, keeping his voice as pleasant as he could and forcing the smile of his face as the man across from him’s stoic mask faltered at the question.

“I, ahh.. Yes, thank you. Though I am surprised at how calm you seem to be, considering the situation.”

“The situation? Well I suppose I am. We may be stuck here for the time being, long enough for the other miraculouses to be spirited away as I’m sure you’ve realised, I see no reason to worry. After all, I am quite certain though you may be an enemy, you are not a killer. Considering I chose both the wielders for the Black Cat and the Ladybug miraculouses, I’d say I was a rather good judge of character, hmm?”

The twitch in Hawk Moth’s expression was amusing enough, but the grudging tone of his next words almost had Fu laughing out loud.

“..Yes, the two young heroes have definitely been.. more effective than I had expected. A.. good choice indeed. Yet you are so certain of my intentions then, that you’d risk your life?”

“Wisdom comes with age, and I have plenty of the latter to my name - should the former prove to be incorrect in judging your nature, well.. I have had a long life, and won’t weep at the end. What is death, after all, but the next great adventure?” Fu managed in the same relaxed tone of voice, which seemed to oddly set Hawk Moth at ease.

“Indeed. Well, you would be correct, I have no intention of doing you har.. Wait, did you just quote Dumbledore?” he asked suspiciously.

Fu managed to keep his snort supressed and just stared at the villain blankly, waiting for him to continue.

Still watching him through narrowed eyes, Hawk Moth drained the last of his tea before humming appreciatively.

“I suppose I had best get to the point then; I haven’t come here to obtain the other miraculouses, nor have I come here to hold you hostage or any other such action - rather, I came to make a deal. I wish to make a deal; I will return the Butterfly and the Peacock miraculouses, but exchange I want your word that you will not reveal my identity or that of Mayura to the public. In essence, for ending this conflict today, I will escape punishment for my actions - which I freely tell you, I do not regret. I regret that I _needed_ to take them, but not the actions themselves. I have manipulated, controlled and attacked Parisian citizens.. and frankly I’d do it all again if I had the need,” he said, pausing only to take a breath.

“As a show of good faith I will reveal my identity to _you_ , as the guardian, and allow you to use Nooroo to determine the truth of my story as it is not possible to lie to him. Do I have your word? Or will I disappear into obscurity, the Peacock and Butterfly lost once more? No matter how the day turns out, I will not seek the Ladybug and the Black Cat any further.”

Fu was really impressed with himself for keeping his composure rather than gaping open-mouthed at the man like his first instinct had been. Quickly running through his list of ‘wise masters’ to emulate and deciding that there really is no better example than Mr. Miyagi himself, got up and walked over to his bonsai - it had been given to him by Marianne as a joke, knowing his distaste for being seen as a movie-cliché, but.. well. He _had_ reluctantly realised he quite enjoyed the art.

_‘It is also a rather easy way to distract guests while I gather my thoughts, but that’s neither here nor there. Still, the chance to end this conflict without violence or revealing even further information about the miraculouses to the public..’_

“I will.. provisionally agree to your terms. I will hear your story and then if, and only if, I judge you to longer be a threat to the world or the other miraculouses I will swear to never reveal your identity - not even to Ladybug and Chat Noir, who I sense you are especially reluctant to know your identity. Surely you do not think they would seek vengeance? I can assure you, it is not either of their natures.”

“It.. is a complicated situation. I believe I know the identity of Chat Noir, and if I’m correct.. then I do deserve to be held accountable even more so than other criminals; yet simultaneously he is the reason for my path and so I cannot just vanish now that I’ve achieved my goals,” Hawk Moth bit out, with a more conflicted tone that Master Fu would have expected.. - if he hadn’t immediately focused on _‘identity of Chat Noir’._

He must have mistaken Fu’s glare of suspicion for a gesture to continue, as he suddenly stood, detransformed and with a resigned voice said:

“My name is Gabriel Agreste; and the reason for my actions have to do with the so-called disappearance of my wife, Emilie..”

*************************************************

It was 20 minutes after the now-civilian Gabriel Agreste had left that Ladybug and Chat Noir burst through Master Fu’s door; taking a ready stance for whatever awaited them, only to find.. Master Fu sitting at his table, the Butterfly Miraculous sitting beside a empty tea cup and holding the Peacock closer to his eyes for inspection.

Marinette couldn’t believe her eyes; Wayzz had told them that Master Fu had activated a final contingency plan - one he had saved for when Hawk Moth or Mayura might have found him - to save the other miraculouses. Yet here he sat, as relaxed as ever, holding both the Butterfly and the Peacock!

Chat seemed to agree, judging by his questioning look.

“Uhh.. Master Fu? Anything you want to.. tell us about?” he asked, clearly trying to remain calm and mostly failing - not that she blamed him.

Taking a moment to observe everything the way she would when trying to figure out her Lucky Charm - the lack of damage to the small house, Master Fu’s relaxed posture, both missing miraculouses on the table, his focus on the Peacock rather than the Butterfly which had been the cause of most of their difficulties - and suddenly everything clicked.

Her jaw dropped opened and her eyes widened in shock as she sputtered in disbelief:

“Hawk Moth actually gave up..?”

…..

Chat shot a deadpan look at his Lady. Her optimism and ability to see good in almost everybody was one of the things he loved most about her, but expecting Hawk Moth to have a change of mind was..

“Indeed Ladybug, that is why he came here today - as shocking as it may seem.”

..just the sort of brilliant thing he should have expected her to figure out! Still, he forced himself to put aside the fact that _hell-yeah-he-was-dating-this-girl!_ and focus on tale that Master Fu was telling them, about a man who would do anything to heal the woman he loved, no matter the cost..

_‘Okay, actively going to NOT think about what I’d do if Marinette were to ever.. nope! Not going down that route!’_

“..don’t agree with his methods, but now that I’m aware of his goal and that it has been accomplished, I’m confident that this threat.. is finally over. You may perhaps be unsatisfied that he’s escaped punishment, but if that is the price we need to pay to achieve peace, I feel it is worth paying.”

Adrien looked at Marinette, trying to gauge her thoughts on the matter, and they had a wordless debate.. He had a habit of jumping in based on his first instincts, whereas she tended to almost _overthink_ things - they helped balance each other out, even ignoring their miraculous-natures of Creation and Destruction.

He realised she wasn’t exactly happy with someone escaping punishment for their crimes, but there was.. something in her eyes that made him think she could understand Hawk Moth’s actions just a bit _too_ much; and like him, she didn’t want to think about it. Silently coming to an agreement that it was probably the best of a list of bad alternatives, they both agreed aloud with Master Fu’s decision.

“Master, you’ve mentioned that his wife has shown enough signs of improvement over the last few months that Hawk Moth considers her recovery as good as done; did he mention _how_ exactly he did it? I love the idea of getting more free time to spend with Marinette, but what if he gave up on obtaining our miraculouses because he found something.. potentially worse?”

Master Fu only chuckled before saying:

“Ah, young love! It is good to see things are going well between you two. As for Hawk Moth.. he did not mention how his wife was recovering, but unfortunately I do know - and it is a sad tale, for had he returned the Peacock sooner, she would have recovered years ago. You see, the Black Cat and the Ladybug aren’t only the most powerful of the miraculouses, but also the most _durable_. If they are somehow damaged, both Tikki and Plagg are powerful enough to repair their miraculouses themselves. Others like Wayzz or Duusu.. without them even realising it, their miraculouses would absorb the energy needed to repair itself from those that use it.”

While Master Fu paused, examining the Peacock closely again, Chat thought about what he had said about Tikki and Plagg. It was.. strange to think how powerful they were. Plagg generally acted like a talking stomach who only stopped being a nuisance when he was trying to impress Tikki, and Tikki appeared to be the literal embodiment of everything cute and sweet. Hard to remember they had lived for thousands of years..

“Strangely, it appeared he stumbled upon this fact accidentally when the current Mayura used the Peacock to assist him that day you had Hawk Moth cornered. Having two wielders to draw energy from would have decreased the burden they’d have each held exponentially. This was likely why Hawk Moth occasionally used the Peacock as well; a third person adding their energy towards fixing the Peacock, and it seems this was finally enough.”

Master Fu sighed ruefully, before donning a somewhat wan smile.

“Such is the mystery of life, however. You should know that I was initially planning on taking the Black Cat and the Ladybug back upon Hawk Moth’s defeat,”

Chat tensed; vaguely noticing Ladybug do the same - Plagg and Tikki had become as close to them, as they had to each other and the idea of giving them up..

“However, I was quickly disabused of this plan by _both_ Plagg _and_ Tikki - who informed me that if I considered doing so against their advice, Tikki would _‘let Plagg off his leash’_ and then she’d use the ashes for and abstract painting.”

Chat.. could only blink at that, though he could have sworn Marinette supressed a snort. Leaning towards her, he threw his arm around her shoulders and smirked at Master Fu.

“Well then, considering Marinette and I will remain together for the foreseeable future, and that our Kwamis plan to remain with us as well, there really is only one thing to do..”

“Oh? And what would that be, Minou?”

“Adrien Agreste and Marinette Dupain-Cheng’s world trip! We will take a world trip, explore everywhere our kwamis have been before, then return to Paris to start our careers! What do you say?” he asked with a sincere tone and more confidence than he felt.. at least until he saw the loving smile she gave him.

“I say.. that sounds _pawsitively purrfect,_ Chaton.”

Has he mentioned he loved this girl? Because yeah, he definitely loved this girl. Momentarily forgetting about Master Fu in the room, he leaned in to kiss her gently on the lips before whispering:

“I can’t wait until the day I _Mari_ you..”

*************************************************


	3. Obliging Owls, Making Magic & Finding Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sequel to Love Shall Rise At The Fall Of Lies (Chapter 3 of Season 03 Irked Me)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Would you believe if I said this was the chapter I initially had the most inspiration for?

It was about twenty minutes later that a rather flustered yet grinning Marinette came back down followed by a goofily smiling Adrien; they had a lot of.. talking to do, but they needed to be responsible heroes - at least while there were adults in the house.

Pretending not to notice how Jagged and Penny had leaped apart when she and Adrien entered the room, she at least tried to keep her smile down. Unlike Adrien who had snapped out of his daze - she wasn’t exactly vain, but putting that expression on his face was a rather substantial boost to her ego - and was now openly grinning at them.

He opened his mouth to say something (knowing him, likely a teasing remark), but was interrupted by Jagged raising a brow and saying:

“Before stating what I think you want to be stating, keep in mind that you and Marinette still had a lovely blush each when you came down, yeah?”

The deadpan tone in which he spoke had Adrien choking on air, and Marinette felt her entire face blush from the implication, though it amused her to see Penny swat Jagged’s shoulder with her own blush on her face.

Shaking her head to try and get back her composure, she and Adrien took a seat on the crouch across from Jagged and Penny, where they had been sitting before Jagged dropped their identities like it wasn’t supposed to be their most guarded secrets - even from each other! Which is why they needed to find out _how_ he knew.

“Jagged, we need to talk about what you said earlier - about how you know our identities. I’m not sure how long you’ve known them, but I’m guessing it’s been a while based on your reaction when you told us. While I wish there wasn’t _anyone_ who knew, we’ll trust you to keep them secret - but we need to know _how_ you found out. How were you able to see through our magical defences?”

Being the somewhat absent-minded musician that he was, Jagged had started to tune his guitar again while listening to her.

“Ah that! Well to be honest, I never did. Still can’t really - looking at the two of you, my eyes tell me you look nothing like Ladybug and Chat Noir. Right freaky, that is.”

That.. honestly wasn’t what she expected him to say. Two separate occasions of coincidentally seeing both her and Adrien transform? Unlikely, but sure. Fang somehow smelling and identifying them both from their scents? Somewhat scary thought, but why not. Heck, the _‘Power of Rock_ ’ he always goes on about informing him through the power of music? Sounds ridiculous, but their nemesis was a Butterfly themed villain who un-ironically created a akuma called _Mr. Pigeon -_ her entire superhero life screamed ridiculous. Jagged saying he _couldn’t_ see they were Ladybug and Chat Noir after letting slip he _knew_ they were Ladybug and Chat Noir? That was.. confusing.

It seemed she wasn’t the only one to think so as Penny turned to Jagged with a questioning look and settled a hand on his arm, while Adrien asked:

“How.. What? Then how did find out our identities? Were you.. told by someone?”

Marinette froze - she hadn’t even considered that. If he had been told by someone else, someone who _also_ knew their identities.. though her fears were quickly assuaged when Jagged waved his concerns aside.

“Ah no, nothing like that, worry not little rockers! I figured it out meself, just not by seeing the truth. See, I’ve always been a talented musician which me Mum did her best to encourage, and so when I met Chat Noir and Ladybug and my eyes told me one thing but my ears told me another.. well. A musician’s gotta be able to count on their hearing! ‘Cept that Beethoven fellow, but I’m halfway convinced myself that he had one of those magic things himself.”

Marinette experienced a strange moment of both fangirling about the fact that Jagged Stone was undoubtedly one of the greatest musicians in the world and worry about what was apparently a weak point in the magical defences of their miraculouses.

“Can I have your autograph as Chat Noir?!” Adrien blurted out; seemed like her partner had no worry about deciding between being awestruck or being worried. She was about to scold him, before realising if she did that it would look too hypocritical to also ask for one as Ladybug..

*************************************************

It was three days after Jagged Stone’s concert, and Marinette was relaxing on her balcony with two cups of hot chocolate and a plate of croissants on the table next to her seat. It had been a hectic few days, with Lila’s deceit becoming public very quickly and people trying to make sense of _why_ she would do it. That, combined with how tired they were after the concert and dealing with the fact that they were both now aware of each other’s identity..

Her parents had gone out on a date night (a tradition they started for unwinding after dealing with extremely taxing jobs) and Adrien’s father had gone to Barcelona to negotiate some business deal he only vaguely mentioned to his son on his way out - which worked out great, as they had a _lot_ of things they needed to talk about. Even Tikki had decided to wait until tonight to answer her questions, so they wouldn’t have to repeat everything for Chat Noir - according to her there was almost no chance that Plagg would make the effort beforehand, so Tikki would handle it.

She was.. oddly nervous though. Sure, when they had found out the other’s identity they had both reacted the same way (which probably involved a lot more kissing and a lot less talking than was wise), but they hadn’t had a chance to discuss where they would go from here. What if it was just a momentary loss of control, and he wasn’t interested in dating her? Or what if they did start dating, but it.. changed their dynamic, damaged it even..?

_‘Not to mention the fact that Gabriel Agreste is Chat Noir’s father, which means my fashion idol is also Chat’s asshole father who I promised myself I was going to slap for neglecting my best friend - that could become awkward..’_

“I’d make a joke about the dangers of young maidens sitting on their balconies this late at night, but that truly terrifying scowl on your otherwise beautiful face would surely frighten off all but the most daring rogues..” Chat’s voice suddenly came from in front of her, and she blinked owlishly at him; she’d been so lost in thought she hadn’t noticed his arrival.

Still, she was glad to see him and smiled as she stood up and held her hand out to him without even thinking about it; until she saw the momentary surprise flash in his eyes and realised that he was likely as nervous as her. Before she could withdraw her hand, however, he had reached out as usual to place a kiss on the back of her hand. Unlike his usual flamboyant-over-the-top manner, this time it was done without exaggerated gestures - simply raising her hand to his lips while looking her in the eyes.

And if the kiss lingered a bit longer than usual, and she blushed a bit darker.. well, neither of them commented on it. It did help the both of them relax though - the simple gesture carrying years of memories and emotions.

Gesturing to the seat next to hers and the waiting cup of hot chocolate nearby, he smiled lopsidedly at her before taking a seat - followed by a green flash, and suddenly Chat Noir was replaced by Adrien Agreste.

For a moment they just sat there in silence, he taking sips from his drink, she nibbling absentmindedly on croissant. Plagg had been dragged off by Tikki after his detransformation and the two of them were floating a little ways off; just far enough that there whispered conversation remained private.

Deciding she might as well discuss her worries with Adrien while they were waiting on their kwamis, she turned to him and asked:

“Have you thought about what Jagged figuring our identities through our voices mean? If one person was able to recognise us that way, others might too.. and we can’t suddenly start to try and change our voices as Ladybug and Chat Noir! People would notice, and it would only make them wonder _why_.”

“I.. admit to a mild sense of panic at the idea has been on my mind lately. Sure Jagged probably has an excellent ear for voices, but are we going to gamble our identities on him being the only one? What about Kitty Section? We interact with them as both civilians and heroes! It’s.. pretty nerve-racking,” Adrien said before taking another croissant and Marinette blanched; she hadn’t even considered that yet and-

“I know you kids are worried, but you can relax.. at least with regards to your identities. The magic hiding you from being revealed isn’t set in stone - it can be improved to account for new or old flaws; we’ve even done it in recent years since the invention of cameras!”

Marinette _did_ relax upon hearing Tikki’s words, though she was bemused by the notion that the kwamis considered roughly 200 years as _recent_.. It wasn’t that she didn’t realise how old they were, it was just something that slipped her mind.

_‘At least until they say something like that.. Chat was really weirded out the day Plagg apparently told him Socrates would have loved him.’_

“We’d need to go to Master Fu to awaken Uhoo the Owl - where the Turtle is the one responsible for the physical state of the other miraculouses, the Owl is responsible for our magical defences. Uhoo is.. different though. He never has a wielder, and must magically link with other transformed wielders nearby in order to alter the magical defences; he uses our wielders as anchors in a way. It’s not a problem usually, except in this case we don’t know the identity of Hawk Moth - if Uhoo forms the link, there is a chance he may link to Hawk Moth as well,” Plagg said grimly.

There was a pause, and then Adrien chuckled mirthlessly before staring at his kwami and saying:

“You know Plagg, you have a remarkable talent for saying something that both gives hope and terrifies. What does this mean though? If he _does_ become linked up as well, would he be able to see our thoughts? Discern our identities? If he could.. does it mean the reverse is true as well? Would we be able to find out who is behind _his_ mask?”

Marinette held her breath; risking their own identities to find out Hawk Moth’s? It was a gamble.. a dangerous gamble, but the idea of _finally_ ending the constant battles, the lies they had to tell their families and friends..? She would be lying if she said she wasn’t tempted.. but any thoughts of the like were quickly stopped when she noticed Tikki shaking her head in the negative.

“It isn’t something is invasive or complicated as sharing your thoughts with everyone in the connection. You can speak to each other and hear everything as if you were in the same room, but you only share what you mean to. At best we might be able to open a dialogue with Hawk Moth, perhaps find out his end goals.. but neither side will be able to determine the identity of the other.”

Marinette took a moment to try and think of how they could use this to their advantage, when she suddenly became aware of the goosebumps on her skin; the night was getting colder, but the view of the starry sky was one of the only things keeping her calm during this discussion. Looking over at Adrien and noticing he didn’t seem nearly as cold as her.

Without even really thinking about it, she got up from her chair and moved over to sit on his lap with her side leaning against his chest; his arms immediately went around her waist pulling her closer, and she had about two seconds of thinking _‘warm’_ before she registered his expression and realised what he had just done.

Her entire face became crimson and she started to stutter an apology, but it got cut off quickly when Adrien placed a gentle kiss against her lips - quite efficiently shutting her up.

*************************************************

Adrien realises they should probably talk about it.

He really _doesn’t_ want to talk about it.

Talking about it might ruin it.

He loves her, he really does.. but she had a tendency to overthink things, and he was worried that she might talk herself out of accepting.. whatever is between them. That he doesn’t really love her, or doesn’t know enough about her - but their identities have proven to him that there is only one girl for him; whether it was Marinette or Ladybug, she was the same girl on either side of the mask and he would chase her as Adrien or Chat Noir or anything in between.

So when she sat on his lap, his arms going around her without a second thought, it was like the final piece of the puzzle being placed. She started to apologise and made to get up, but he tightened his arms around her slightly (not enough to hold her, but enough to make her pause) and then he kissed her - it wasn’t anything amazing like their first one after finding out, it didn’t have the intense (if somewhat fuzzy) emotion behind it like their kiss during Oblivio - it was just a quick way to say _‘Don’t forget, I already love you’_.

He was by no means an expert (or even acceptably competent) when it came to emotions, but judging by her soft smile and how she settled back into him, he figured she understood his message..

..so naturally the mood had to be crushed by He-Who-Must-Devour-Cheese.

“Gaah! Sugarcube, why do we even bother to talk to them? I mean look at those faces! They literally cannot wait until we’re done so they can proceed to suck faces again!”

Adrien was about to deny that no, that wasn’t what he was thinking, when he noticed Marinette’s cheeks turning slightly redder and realised that maybe considering the exceptionally pretty and considerably badass girl that was currently residing in his arms that was what he _should_ have been thinking.

It seemed as if Tikki had noticed his change of mind, as she shot him a small grin and a wink before turning and dragging Plagg behind her through the roof into Marinette’s room saying something about them watching a movie while their chosen were busy.

Taking a breath and pausing for a bit, trying to think of a way to bring it up without sounding like making out was all he was interested in, he was surprised by Marinette moving so that she was now effectively straddling him on the lounge chair.

_‘Oh right, things work out much better when she’s the one who makes the plans’ _were the last coherent words in his mind before his thoughts were consumed by her name reverberating through his mind.

…..

It was the next day, and Adrien couldn’t help but be glad he and Marinette hadn’t spent their parent-and-friend-and-akuma-free night worrying about any possible telepathic meeting with Hawk Moth - not only because what they _had_ been doing was far more enjoyable, but because it wasn’t even an issue in the end. Uhoo had been awoken (he looked so much like a mini Wan Shi Tong that Adrien actually freaked out a little bit), he had formed the link which, other than the ability to have temporary conversations with Marinette and Master Fu without speaking aloud, hadn’t really been all that different from just sitting there quietly.

_‘I realise this is reality and not some cartoon or magical girl anime, but I at least expected a glow or aura around us while it happened.’_

“Done. The magic concealing your identities will now prevent people from making the connection between your civilian selves and your hero identities. It won’t affect the one who first noticed it though; quite a remarkable human. I unintentionally left a hole in your defences because I simply hadn’t considered the idea that an individual would trust their hearing above their sight; quite remarkable indeed..” Uhoo rumbled out. Uhoo himself didn’t have a voice, and spoke in their minds in a voice that would most impress them - he heard the deep rumble of Michael Clarke Duncan, Marinette said she heard James Earl Jones, and though Master Fu didn’t share who he heard he had angrily muttered something that sounded like Miyagi.

“Now that it is done, we must speak of the Peacock Miraculous and what actions to take to save it,” Uhoo started, “and I am not speaking of the fact that it has been missing for years. When I was working on the enchantments, I detected that it has been _damaged_ in a way that I do not understand. Miraculouses are exceptionally durable; the problem, however, is not that it has been damaged but rather the effect it has. I am unsure of who had the Peacock before this Mayura found it, but they have likely fallen into a coma - just like this new user eventually will.”

Adrien was vaguely aware of the grim look on Master Fu’s face, yet most of his attention was on Marinette - he knew her, knew the type of person she was and so he wasn’t surprised when her face shifted from shocked horror to steely determination.

“We can’t let that happen; I don’t care if they’re currently enemies, we have to warn them!” here she turned to Uhoo and asked:

“And what about the previous holder? The one you said was already in a coma; is there anything we can do to help them?”

The little Owl kwami closed his eyes and started tilting his head side to side, likely trying to determine if they could do something - it would have been adorable if he hadn’t been so freaked out by that particular Avatar episode. Ironically it was also the episode he had developed a _slight_ crush on Toph.

Adrien frowned. Did he have a type? And was that type girls-who-could-kick-my-ass? Glancing at Marinette from the corner of his eye, he suddenly thought of a memory from last year - they (being Adrien, Nino, Marinette and Alya) had been heading out from class when a couple of upperclassmen had been insulting Chat Noir, only to be put down _hard_ by a furious Marinette.

_‘Oh yeah, definitely have a type.’_

He was shaken out of his musings by Uhoo suddenly sighing loudly; it seemed he had a plan, but he wasn’t particularly happy with it.

When he started explaining it, Adrien decided he wasn’t particularly happy with it either.

*************************************************

Even before he started hearing the voice in his head, Gabriel Agreste was having a bad day.

He had got back about mid-morning from his trip to Barcelona, which had been irritating since he had to leave immediately due to a disaster on their side, but flying always gave him the worst migraines. He had hoped to see his son as well; he had been trying to distance himself emotionally in the hopes that should he be able to awaken Emilie at the cost of succumbing to her coma himself it wouldn’t affect his son too harshly, but he still cared for him. Unfortunately he hadn’t informed his son that he’d be back so soon, and his son had gone out for the day though no one knew where - Gabriel knew his son’s bodyguard likely knew, but he was under no delusions; Gabriel might be the one paying him, but his loyalty was to his son first. It was sometimes irksome, but he did value the man’s skills - his reputation alone was enough to frighten off most would-be kidnappers.

He was exhausted, suffering from a migraine and just generally irritated - luckily Nathalie had predicted this turn of events and pre-emptively cleared his day from any appointments or meetings. He should probably give her a raise, come to think of it..

_“Hawk Moth, can you hear me? Fear not that I know your identity, as this is merely a method of communication. I am the kwami known as Uhoo; He-Who-Knows-Ten-Thousand-Things and Magical-Protector to the miraculouses.”_

Suddenly Nooroo flew out of his jacket and turned to stare at him with shock; it would seem he was aware of this Uhoo and was shocked by this turn of events. Gabriel narrowed his eyes thoughtfully.. he wasn’t sure what this would mean for his plans going forward, though his kwami’s quickly whispered words that Uhoo was bound to remain neutral did calm him down.

“What is it that you wish from me? I assure you trying to talk me away from my current path is pointless; I cannot stop until I accomplish my goals,” he responded, making sure to keep any and all inflection out of his voice.

_“Mmm.. you follow the path of fools, Hawk Moth, though that is neither here nor there. I have reached out to you through your miraculous due to a problem with the Peacock Miraculous. I do not know how this Mayura obtained it from its previous wielder, but I do know the damaged miraculous has placed that wielder in a magical coma..”_

Gabriel felt his heart-rate speed up and heard a rushing noise in his head; it _was_ his fault. He had theorised that Emilie’s strange coma was linked to her miraculous, but it just got confirmed! He would need to stop Nathalie from using it, lest she succumb as well.. he was vaguely aware that this Uhoo was still speaking, but he felt like the room was spinning.. until he registered his final words:

_“..your help to heal them.”_

Suddenly his world _stopped_ completely - he didn’t breath, he didn’t think, his mind blanked out everything but the words.. he dropped to his knees, overwhelmed by his raging emotions of raging fear and hope. If.. what he was saying was true.. he could get Emilie back! He could get her back without losing himself as price, his family could be restored!

Using every ounce of his self-control to supress his emotions enough to think and speak clearly.

“What is it you require of me then?” he managed in a slightly hoarse voice.

_“Merely your permission to draw upon you for the healing process. I cannot sense much from this distance, but I believe the person has been in a coma for years-”_ 1277 days, his mind supplied, _“-and it will likely take a large amount of power. Both Ladybug and Chat Noir, as well as the Guardian, has agreed to assist and should you agree as well the magical drain will prevent any of you from transforming for roughly two weeks, perhaps less. Do you agree to this? Know that if you refuse and hope to take advantage of their inability to transform, you will be seen as endangering the miraculouses and I would be free to..-”_ was as far as he got, before Gabriel lost his patience.

“Yes I agree, yes I swear! Just get it over with already!”

There was silence from the kwami, and for a moment Gabriel worried that nothing would happen.. but then Nooroo was suddenly sucked into his brooch, as if he were to transform and his mind started to feel fuzzy..

When he next shook of his daze, he noticed that an hour had passed and he felt more exhausted than he had since the week leading up to his first ever fashion show.

_“I thank you all for your willingness to assist me in this, and it seems.. ah yes, we have indeed been successful. The wielder has awoken - but I must warn you Hawk Moth, Mayura seems to be an ally of yours, so you must warn her that if she continues using it, the same fate will befall her. I’d advise you all to get some rest..”_

Gabriel was still frozen in place five minutes after the kwami Uhoo’s voice had faded, when the words suddenly registered.

_Been successful.._

_Been successful.._

_Been successful.._

_Been successful.._

_Been successful.._

Suddenly he was moving, no not just moving he was _sprinting_ towards the entrance to his - for lack of a better term - secret lair. When the elevator doors finally opened into the room he ran again to the place where his wife had been.. only to crash to his knees at the sight of her standing there, looking around confusedly. He could feel tears start to form in his eyes and realised he was openly weeping.

When she noticed him there on his knees crying, she immediately ran over and kneeled beside him:

“Gabriel? What’s going on, are you hurt? What can I do?” she asked in a concerned voice; a voice he realised he had almost forgotten, despite it being the most beautiful voice he had ever heard.

He started laughing through his tears - the woman woke up in a daze, in a room she’s never seen with no idea how she got there, and her first words were asking about his welfare. Gabriel still wasn’t sure how he had managed to marry this woman, but he loved her too much to worry about specifics.

Looking her in the eyes, he managed to take a deep breath and compose himself before saying:

“Welcome back, my love. There is much I need to tell you..”

*************************************************

Marinette sat drinking tea with Master Fu, just recovering her energy from helping Uhoo heal the previous Peacock. They had been discussing what Uhoo had told them about Hawk Moth’s unexpected willingness to assist, though had just written it off as an eagerness to help his ally Mayura from falling into the same danger when Adrien had gotten a call from his father - an actual call from his father, rather than Nathalie, which had shocked them both so much he almost hadn’t answered in time.

He had gotten up to talk in the next room, and she was just waiting for him to finish the call before dragging him to her home; they had plans involving numerous pastries and unhealthy amounts of video games!

When he came back, however, she was completely confused - he had tears running down his face so she had almost thought he’d received some tragic news, but the smile on his face was too real and too happy to be brought on by hysteria.

“Marinette, my father, and- and- mother! The thing to Barcelona was.. he..” he started to mumble out, but he must have noticed her confusion as he shook his head and wiped off his tears before starting again:

“It’s my mother! My father found her! That’s what the trip to Barcelona was about; he was contacted by a private clinic there and he flew immediately!” he spoke excitedly, and she felt her jaw drop.

“Your mother?! Is she alright? Has she been there all this time? Oh Adrien, I’m so happy for you!” she said, jumping up to hug him tightly.

Hugging her back just as tightly, he spoke in her ear:

“I don’t know all the details yet, but it sounds as if she had an injury that caused amnesia or something similar, but the clinic she was in managed to restore her memories and she called my father immediately..! Marinette.. I’m getting my family back.”

And now Marinette had tears in her eyes too; yet she kept her composure enough to lightly shove him before saying:

“Then why are you still here Adrien? Go see them! I’ll call you tonight, but for now you need to reunite with your mother!”

He didn’t pull back though; rather he started looking a bit sheepish, before kissing her quickly.

“I.. know that. I’m just.. wondering if you’d come with me? This is probably going to be one of the best moments of my life.. and you, Marinette Dupain-Cheng, mean a lot to me. I want you to be there, I want you to meet my family - my mother, and the man my father was when she was with us. And one day perhaps.. become part of my family as well..”

Her tears had been close to drying, but at his sincere hope that he wanted them to be a family one day they started to tear up anew, yet she managed to smile at him lovingly enough that he blushed again - she was rather enjoying being the one to make him blush, rather than vice versa.

“I’d love that Chaton; let’s go see your family.”

*************************************************

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The part about Marinette putting down upperclassmen who were insulting Chat Noir was a reference to "Hold My Purse!" by Lady-Lombax, which I had reread while writing this chapter. The author writes good stuff, would recommend checking it out.


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